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Identifying provenance of aeolian deposits in the mid-latitude deserts of Asia is essential for understanding formation and changes of Earth surface processes due to palaeoclimatic fluctuations. While some earlier studies focused on the interpretation of palaeoenvironments on the basis of aeolian deposits mainly in the desert margins and inter-dune lacustrine sediments, research on provenance of desert sands in the vast Asian mid-latitude deserts is still rare. In this paper, we present new geochemical data which provide insight to the provenance of dune sands in the Badain Jaran Desert, northwestern China, an important part of this desert belt. We sampled aeolian and lacustrine sediments in various parts of the Badain Jaran Desert, and examined their major, trace and rare earth elements (REE) in bulk samples, coarse and fine fractions, respectively. In addition, we took and analyzed samples from a rarely known dune field with red sands, northeast of the Badain Jaran. Our results show that the sands from the Badain Jaran Desert are generally different from those in the red sand dune field in terms of REE pattern and geochemical characteristics, suggesting different sediment origins. Geochemical composition of the aeolian sand samples indicates these sediments should be mainly derived from mixed source rocks of granite, granitoids and granodiorite. Comparing the immobile trace elements and REE ratios of the samples from the Badain Jaran Desert, red sand dune field with rocks of granite, granitoids in their potential source areas, we conclude that: (1) The aeolian deposits in the Badain Jaran Desert are predominantly derived from the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau initially via fluvial processes; (2) The Altay Mountains and Mongolian Gobi are the ultimate source areas for the red sand dune field; (3) The Altai Mountains and Mongolian Gobi in the northwest, that could produce massive amounts of materials via intensive deflation and alluvial process, are additional sand sources of the Badain Jaran Desert although their contribution is of secondary significance. As the Badain Jaran Desert acts as sediment sinks of sediments from the Qilian Mountains of northeastern Tibetan Plateau via fluvial processes, it is likely that zircon grains of loess on the Chinese Loess Plateau with age distributions similar to those of the northern Tibetan Plateau could be derived from the Badain Jaran Desert, as the wind data suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on samples taken from four large sand seas of northern China, this paper first provides basic data about the concentrations and chemistries of soluble salts in deserts of northern China and then discusses the origins and parameters triggering geographical variations. The total concentration of soluble salts in the aeolian sands of four large sand seas in northern China ranges between 0.14‰ and 1.32‰, with the pH of the soluble salts solution (mixing ratio of sand and water 1:5) changing between 8.4 and 9.6, confirming alkaline soil conditions in these regions. Sodium chloride and bicarbonate are the dominant salts occurring as soluble salts in the aeolian deposits of these sand seas. The geographical changes of soluble salts'' concentration display a clear correlation with regional climatic parameters, i.e., precipitation and temperature. The domination of sedimentation of soluble salts in the aeolian sands deposited via atmospheric processes is discussed, which are heavily associated with dry deposition. The mean percentages of Na and Cl, derived from dry depositions, are estimated to be >90% in both Badain Jaran and Taklamakan deserts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Badain Jaran Desert, located in western Inner Mongolia, China, is characterized by an arid climate and by occurrence of large dunes and permanent lakes within the dune field. The main objective of this paper is to describe landscape evolution and climatic change in this desert since the late Pleistocene. Special attention is given to the dune and lake deposits as well as to the water chemistry of the lakes. On the megadunes of the desert several calcareous cementation layers and cemented plant roots were observed, indicating a relatively moister climate during the last 31,000 years. The present hypersaline lakes were filled with fresh or brackish water between 9 and 4 ka BP. On the basis of dune morphology and stratigraphy and lacustrine deposits, it is concluded that the enrichment of ions in the lakes and decline of their water surface result from aridification since the middle Holocene. The existence of more humid periods implies that the intensity of westerlies and Asian monsoons has changed periodically in this desert since the late Pleistocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]